Officials are probing how a 51-year-old highway bridge came to collapse in the Italian port city of Genoa yesterday, killing at least 26 people and injuring 16 others as it sent dozens of vehicles tumbling into a heap of concrete and twisted steel.

Baby Elise breaks 100-year cancer curse

Baby Elise Barter does not know it, but she has broken her family's 100-year cancer curse.

Unlike her aunt, grandmother, great grandmother and great great grandmother she does not carry a BRAC gene mutation.

Her father, Andrew Barter, is delighted.

A huge burden lifted from his shoulders the day he found out he does not carry the gene and has not passed it on to his daughter.

Mr Barter's family have lost 20 women to breast and ovarian cancer, which inspired his sister Krystal to start the Pink Hope charity to support people with the BRAC1 or BRAC2 gene mutations.

The charity, which is marking Bright Pink Lipstick Day on Friday, says the mutation causes major anguish.

"Imagine hitting your teens and as you look down at your developing chest wondering if your breasts are going to give you cancer," says Ms Barter, who is one of about 120,000 Australians with the mutation.

She started the charity to support women like her.

One of the biggest difficulties is deciding between ongoing surveillance or preventative surgery.